Man Thinking: The Nature of Emerson's American Scholar
by Judd Taylor
In "The American Scholar," Ralph Waldo Emerson characterizes the
nature of the American scholar in three categories: nature, books, and
action. The scholar is one who nature mystifies, because one must be
engrossed with nature before he can appreciate it. In nature, man learns to
tie things together; trees sprout from roots, leaves grow on trees, and so
on. Man learns how to classify the things in nature, which simplifies
things
in
his
mind
(section
I).
Books, to the scholar, should only be used as a link to gathering
information about the past. For these books do not give a definite factual
account of the past; they provide information for man to form his own
opinions. These books were written by men who already had formulated
ideas in their heads spawned by other books. Man must look to these
books for inspiration in creating his own thoughts. He must use all the
possible resources available to get every side and every opinion out there.
When man creates his own thoughts, using every source to aid him in his
thinking, only then will the scholar be learned, be man thinking (section
II).
Although not as important, the scholar must also take action. He must fill
each and every moment of the day. The scholar should work different
jobs and learn new professions. Then he will learn new languages in
which to illustrate his thoughts. The scholar should teach his knowledge
to men, teach them facts versus appearances. To do this, the scholar must
trust himself, never willing to give in to popular opinion. He should never
seek money or power, or let either sway his judgement. His actions are a
reflection of his character, and "character is higher than intellect" (Section
III).
Furthermore, the nature of the scholar is the gender of man. Emerson
makes a division of the "man thinking" and the woman. He writes, "I
have heard it said that the clergy . . . the scholars of their day--are
addressed as women" (Section III). In the context of this quote, Emerson
is saying that clergymen were the scholars of the past, and that society
degraded them. Emerson chooses to use women as the degraded image.
Therefore, women cannot be scholars since he uses them as this negative
image. Multiplied by the fact that throughout this piece, Emerson
constantly uses the terms "the man," "man thinking," and the pronouns
"his," and "himself." Herein lies the hypocrisy of Emerson, which by his
own words displays how he is not a scholar, a man thinking.
Emerson says that the scholar should take all the information from
society available and use this to make up his own mind (Section II).
During this time, society equated women as not being equal in intellect to
men. Yet women writers like Mary Rowlandson, Elizabeth Ashbridge,
and Sarah Kemble Knight, were writing narratives just as good as men.
They displayed how indeed, they equaled the intellect of men. However,
Emerson does not give women the credit or equality that is due to them.
"In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a
mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking" (Before
Section I). In regard to the equality he gives women, Emerson has
become the parrot he describes.